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Char
Char is a volcanic planet in or near the Koprulu Sector. It was fought over by terrans for its mineral wealth and later settled en masse by zerg. Astrography Char is located in a binary star system. The primaries, a class VI F0 sub dwarf orbiting an M8 irregular variable, bombard the planet with cosmic rays. The planet's extremely elliptical orbit has a volatile affect on its geography. Eris and Ate are Char's two large natural satellites, each being purplish in color and having a diameter of more than 1000 kilometers.2008-6-17. Char. Official StarCraft II Website. Accessed 2008-6-17. Geography The planet has a diameter of 10521 kilometers and a surface gravity of 0.91. Large areas are covered with lava. Char is tectonically activeRosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4. and all 18 of its mountain chains are volcanic. When the planet's orbit swings close to the stars vast molten areas can form on its sunward face. Conversely as its orbit takes it farther away cooling may cause large temporary islands to form. Despite the volatility zerg tunnels may be pervasive under 40% of the surface four years after the Brood War. The acrid air has a high oxygen and sulfur content and laced with ash and the average temperature is 48 degrees centigrade with very low humidity. An unprotected terran may survive on the planet, however uncomfortably. Despite the conditions small pockets of liquid water exist on the surface. In addition, surveys of Char have revealed the following known landforms: *52 volcanic caldera *38 lava lakes *5 lava seas (variable) Hazards Char has thick layers of ash which can wreak havoc with sensitive equipment(1998-12-10). Vulcan's Forge. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 12, 2007. and can also cover hazards such as magma pools.(1999-09-10). Hellhole. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 12, 2007. Clouds of ash form which are thick enough to block the view of the stars, making navigation difficult. In addition, fluctuating magnetic fields render magnetic compasses unreliable.(1999-06-11). Slow Burn. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 12, 2007. The magma, driven by powerful tectonic activity, often seeps to the surface. The harsh tectonic conditions can cause horrifying firestorms which unrelentingly burn across the plains;1998-11-25. Typhoon. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Accessed 2007-07-02. the tectonic activity can result in "pyroclastic flows" traveling down mountains at speeds of over 100 miles per hour and with temperatures in excess of 800 centigrade (1470 °F).(1998-03-10). Pyroclasm. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 12, 2007. Temperatures are sometimes so intense that entire sections of its surface become liquefied.(1998-10-30.) Blast Furnace. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 6, 2007. Life Forms While Char has no indigenous life forms, imported ragnasaurs,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The New Dominion (in English). 1998. some mushroom-like fungi, and small rodents have managed to survive. The planet is home to an estimated 10 billion Zerg, spread amongst 150 Primary Zerg Hive Clusters (estimated) and 1029 Tertiary Zerg Hive Clusters (estimated). Resources Char is one of the richest resource nodes in the sector, as the tectonic activity continually uncovers deposits of minerals and geysers of Vespene. Additional resources become accessible when the planet is farthest away from the stars. The temporary islands formed from the magma are replete with minerals. When mineral deposits are melted, they can be seen protruding from the obsidian landscape, serving as both landmarks and rich mining fields.(1999-02-19). Obsidian. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 6, 2007. History '' above Char]] base camp in the wastelands of Char.]] Char was discovered by Terrans before the Guild Wars. Terran Confederate and independent Morian mining guilds quickly settled on the planet to exploit its fantastic mineral wealth. Some of the fieriest battles of the Guild Wars were fought on Char. Unrestricted usage of nuclear weapons in some areas awoke dormant volcanoes and made the planet even more radioactive and inhospitable to humans than before. After the Guild Wars the human presence on Char decreased. Those who remained were tasked with maintaining automated mining sites and were housed in a newly constructed orbital platform, Char Aleph. Arrival of the Zerg Char was selected as a base by the Zerg after they captured Sarah Kerrigan on Tarsonis due to its remote location and rich resources. Its twisting cliffs, magma pools and other features enabled the Zerg to hide their Hatcheries and therefore hide their numbers from enemies.(1998-06-05). Eruption. StarCraft Compendium Map Archives. Retrieved April 12, 2007. Theorists speculate that the Zerg chose Char because it forms a useful jump-off point to core Terran and Protoss space, that the inhospitable nature makes it easy to defend, or that the high radiation levels promote a higher mutation rate in the Zerg, enabling forced evolution of specialist strains. The captured Kerrigan emitted psionic energy, calling Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Agent of the Swarm (in English). 1998. This also gathered the attention of the Protoss — specifically Tassadar and Zeratul.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Flames (in English). 1998. Zeratul detected the Khalis crystal on the surface of the planet but was unable or unwilling to retrieve it.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Return to Char (in English). 1998. Raynor's Raiders under Jim Raynor and the Terran Dominion Alpha Squadron under Edmund Duke both tried unsuccessfully to save Kerrigan. Both were forced to retreat.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The New Dominion (in English). 1998. Protoss leaders Tassadar, a High Templar, and Zeratul, a Dark Templar, traveled to Char, following Kerrigan's psychic beacon. Once there, they met Raynor's Raiders and eventually formed an alliance against the Zerg.Rosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4. Meanwhile, Kerrigan had unlocked her powers and was able to find the Protoss. She challenged Tassadar to a duel. Cerebrate Zasz cautioned Kerrigan about facing Tassadar, but she tried to fight him anyway. However, Tassadar had created an illusion of himself''StarCraft.'' Vivendi Games. Mission: The Dark Templar (in English). 1998. to lure her away from Zeratul, who was testing out his Dark Templar powers to see if they could kill Zerg Cerebrates. (The test was successful.) Zasz's Garm Brood ran amok without its master and the Zerg were forced to destroy them.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Culling (in English). 1998. In revenge, the Zerg hunted down the Protoss. Infested Kerrigan led the hunt,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Eye for an Eye (in English). 1998. but the harsh conditions worked against the Zerg; the Protoss could also make use of the rugged terrain; however, Kerrigan was victorious, although Tassadar and Zeratul survived, their Templar armies were decimated. The Zerg Overmind traveled to Aiur, leaving Kerrigan to hunt down the remaining Protoss warriors.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Invasion of Aiur (in English). 1998. The Protoss eventually returned for the arrest of Tassadar, but Tassadar convinced them to free Zeratul instead.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Hunt for Tassadar (in English). 1998. After freeing Zeratul''StarCraft.'' Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Darkness (in English). 1998. and defeating the Zerg who had remained on Char, the Protoss left the planet. The Brood War With the death of the Overmind on Aiur, Daggoth returned to Char and ordered many of his Cerebrates to fuse, forming a new Overmind and a faction, the Renegade Zerg, opposed to Infested Kerrigan.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Quest for Uraj (in English). 1998. The Protoss would return to retrieve the Khalis crystal, while the United Earth Directorate would attack the planet in order to claim the Overmind, enslaving the Zerg.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: To Chain the Beast (in English). 1998. A Dark Templar terrorist, Ulrezaj, traveled to Char hoping to use the Zerg as a weapon against the Khalai refugees on Shakuras.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Enslavers: Dark Vengeance bonus campaign, episode V: "Dark Vengeance" (in English). 1999-06-25. StarCraft Map Archives He used warped Khaydarin crystals to control numerous Zerg. His plans were shattered by Zeratul's forces, however, which sent a raiding team including a Dark Archon hero in order to destroy the warped crystals.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Enslavers: Dark Vengeance bonus campaign, episode IVA: "Desperate Measures" (in English). 1999-05-28. StarCraft Map Archives Kerrigan traveled to the planet in order to destroy the Overmind, accompanied by a force of Dark Templar. Kerrigan had captured their Matriarch, Raszagal, and so Zeratul and his brethren had little choice but to work with her. The "alliance" defeated the UED forces and the Dark Templar destroyed the Overmind for her, but Kerrigan had manipulated Raszagal into not wishing to return to her tribe.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: To Slay the Beast (in English). 1998. Zeratul spirited her away and regrouped with a number of Protoss survivors on the surface of Char. Kerrigan mobilized all of her broods and sent them to the surface of Char. The Protoss were defeated, and Zeratul was forced to slay his own Matriarch. Kerrigan allowed Zeratul and his brethren to leave Char with their lives.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Reckoning (in English). 1998. .]] Shortly thereafter, fleets from the United Earth Directorate, Terran Dominion and Shakuras, arrived, all seeking revenge now that Kerrigan was in a weak position. Kerrigan defeated the three forces in a titanic battle and solidified her position.StarCraft: Brood War.'' Vivendi Games. Mission: Omega (in English). 1998. Locations Regions *Glass Flats *Volcanis Landforms *Burning Rift *Death Valley Other *''Char Aleph'' References Category:Planets Category: Terrans Category: Zerg